Updates

1948 | David Ririe (BS ’48, PhD Rutgers University ’51; Joanne Irwin [’49]; Salinas, Calif.), with Roger W. (BA ’73) and Carolyn Ririe Nielsen (BA ’71), wroteOne-Mission Man, his memoir about being a U.S. prisoner of war during World War II.

1951 | Afton Bennion Alleman (BS ’51, MEd University of Nevada, Las Vegas ’76; Springville, Utah) and her husband, Glenn L. Alleman (BS ’53, MS ’61), were honored by the Springville Chamber of Commerce as Citizens of the Year. Glenn was president of the Springville Historical Society for 20 years and is writing a book about the history of Springville construction companies.

1972 | John A. Bascom (BA ’72; Lisa; Victorville, Calif.) accepted an award and induction on behalf of his father, Earl W. Bascom (BS ’40), into the Victor Valley College Alumni Hall of Fame. James A. Holtkamp (BA ’72, JD The George Washington University ’75; Marianne Coltrin [BA ’71]; Salt Lake City) was named a senior fellow of the Wallace Stegner Center at the University of Utah. He will study air-pollution control and climate change. Richard J. Nye (BA ’72, MA ’72; Carolyn Hoffman [’74]; Orem, Utah) owns Rick Nye Photography, which was named the best Utah County photography studio in a Daily Herald poll.

1973 | Kendall W. Brown (BA ’73, MA Duke University ’75, PhD Duke University ’79; Margaret; Orem, Utah), a BYU history professor, published A History of Mining in Latin America: From theColonial Era to the Present.

1976 | Tom Eckhardt Haraldsen (BA ’76; Peri; Salt Lake City) published his first young adult novel, Dreaming of Hope. He is a newspaper editor and serves as Utah Headliners Chapter president for the Society of Professional Journalists. Sasha W. Kwapinski (MA ’76; Susan Rubow [BA ’73]; Alta Loma, Calif.), an avid long-distance bicyclist, will ride down the Pacific coast (Canada to San Diego) to raise funds for an animal shelter.

1977 | Emma Skousen Anderson (BA ’77, MEd Northern Arizona University ’08; W. Scott [BS ’77]; Gilbert, Ariz.) was elected school board president for the Gilbert Unified School District. She was also promoted to director of community partnership programs at Rio Salado College.

1985 | Alan E. Money (BS ’85, MS California State University ’90; Sandra; Phoenix) was honored as American Youth Football Junior Midget Division I National Coach of the Year. His team won the national championship.

1989 | Valerie Robertson Ackley (BS ’89; Jeff; Saratoga Springs, Utah) publishedher first children’s book, What Are You Thinking?, designed to introduce children to the power of their thoughts. Jacques C. du Plessis (BA ’89, MA ’92; Julee Decker [BA ’92]; Glendale, Wis.), an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, has been invited to join the South African Academy of Science and Arts. Anthony A. Piña (BA ’89, MEd ’91, EdD La Sierra University

1990 | Sean A. McKitrick (BA ’90, MA ’92, PhD Claremont McKenna College ’99; Villate; Binghamton, N.Y.) was appointed to serve as one of several vice presidents of the Middle States Commission of Higher Education. He will work with institutions on accreditation status and policy issues.

1991 | Bryce J. Yerman (BA ’91, MD University of Utah ’95; Janet Zion [BA ’93]; Rochester, N.Y.) is working for North Shore Hospital in Auckland, New Zealand, as an emergency specialist.

1992 | Matthew A. Bowman (BS ’92; Dawnie; Sandy, Utah), director of demand generation at Allegiance, was awarded a 2012 SAMY by Utah Business Magazine as one of the top 20 sales and marketing executives in Utah.

1993 | Robert R. Ferguson (BS ’93; Lehi, Utah) was named chief information officer for MonaVie, a health and wellness company. Mark L. Forman (’93; Bountiful, Utah) published Albrek’s Tomb, book three in his Adventurers Wanted series. Scott D. Sweeney (BA ’93, JD University of Colorado ’97; Shirl Green [BS ’93]; Aurora, Colo.) has joined the law firm of Wilson Elser, where he focuses on employment litigation, fidelity and surety litigation, and insurance bad faith law.

1996 | Tom V. Huynh (BA ’96; Huyen; Salt Lake City) was elected to the West Valley City Council and is the first ethnic minority elected to the council. A refugee from Vietnam, Huynh emigrated at age 21 and has published April Rain, a narrative of his life. Joshua G. James (’96; Cherie Gallian [BFA ’95]; Orem, Utah), founder and CEO of Domo, has been elected to the Save the Children board of trustees.

Shawn Lindsay

1997 | Eric L. Hazelle (BIS ’97; Deborah Wykoff [’74]; Phoenix) has written the philosophical work Becoming Human in the Cosmos: The Purpose and Ultimate Destiny of Human Life under the name Lee Hazelle. Shawn M. Lindsay (BA ’97, JD Washburn University ’01; Amanda Harris [BS ’99]; Hillsboro, Ore.) was named a Forty Under 40 honoree by Portland Business Journal.Melanie A. Webb (BS ’97; Orem, Utah) is one of 20 Athleta Featured Athletes for 2012. Webb is a fitness coach and founder of Sol Fitness Adventures.

1998 | Dustin T. Johnson (BS ’98, JD American University ’02; Jennifer Geigle [BA ’97]; Southlake, Texas) is a partner at the law firm of Haynes and Boone. He is a member of the firm’s intellectual-property and patent-reexamination practice groups. Matthew L. Sandgren (BA ’98, JD University of Tulsa ’02, LLM George Washington University ’03; Kamae Bradburn [BA ’02]; Alexandria, Va.), minority staff counsel for the Senate Judiciary Committee, was named one of the 30 Hill Aides to Know by the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call.

2000 | Keith A. Erekson (BS ’00, MA ’02, PhD Indiana University Bloomington ’08; Carolyn Clift [BA ’99]; El Paso, Texas), an assistant professor of history at the University of Texas at El Paso, has received a 2011 Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award from the University of Texas System. Aaron P. Jasinski (BFA ’00; Bremerton, Wash.) has received a 2011 Louis Posner Memorial Award for best illustrated children’s book from the Jewish Book Council for his fourth picture book,The Golem’s Latkes. Paul O. Lords (BS ’00, MEd University of Nevada, Reno ’01, EdS University of Nevada, Reno ’03, Jennifer Johnson [BGS ’06]; Tooele, Utah) received his PhD in educational psychology from Capella University, graduating with distinction. He works in education reform as a trainer of teachers, principals, and district staff for ICAT Resources. Felicity Murphy (BA ’00, JD University of Utah ’11; Sandy, Utah) has joined the library faculty at the S. J. Quinney Law Library, University of Utah.

Stephen Evans

2001 | Stephen D. Evans (BA ’01, MS ’04, MBA Western Governors University ’11; Elizabeth Clark [BS ’00]; Lehi, Utah) has been selected as one of Trainingmagazine’s 2012 Top Young Trainers, which recognizes the nation’s top 40 training professionals age 40 and younger. David E. Kitchen (BS ’01, JD University of Chicago ’04; Nikki Flory [BS ’01]; Avon, Ohio) is a law partner with Baker & Hostetler and a member of the intellectual property group.

Gabrielle Cheney

2002 | Gabrielle Tibbitts Cheney (BS ’02; Stephen L. [BA ’03]; San Antonio, Texas) has been selected by Texas American Mothers as the 2012 Texas Young Mother of the Year. Nancy Owens Fulda (BS ’02, MS ’04; Fabian [BS ’04]; Rantrum, Germany) was nominated for a Nebula Award by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and a Hugo Award by the World Science Fiction Society for her short story “Movement.” Mark S. Nielsen (BA ’02; Anne Larsen [BS ’02]; Mesa, Ariz.) wrote the children’s book I Believe in Jesus Too, an illustrated book that shows how Latter-day Saint children around the world share their belief in Jesus

Nancy Fulda

Christ. Matthew W. Park (BA ’02, MA University of Southern California ’06, JD University of Southern California ’06; Holly Peterson [BA ’02]; Las Vegas) joined the litigation department of Lewis and Roca’s Las Vegas office. Kyle A. Riding (BS ’02, MS University of Texas at Austin ’04, PhD University of Texas at Austin ’07; Marci Ebert [’05]; Manhattan, Kan.), along with his team at Kansas State University (KSU), received the Wason Medal for Materials Research from the American Concrete Institute. Riding is an assistant professor of civil engineering at KSU. Derrill D. Watson II (BA ’02, MA Cornell University ’07, PhD Cornell University ’09; Yola, Nigeria) coauthored Food Policy for Developing Countries with colleague Per Pinstrup-Andersen.

Joshua Abbott

2003 | Joshua W. Abbott (BA ’03, JD ’06; Megan Hulihan [BS ’01]; Gilbert, Ariz.) is the new executive director for the Center for Law, Science, and Innovation at Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. Amanda Grant Sowards (BA ’03; Joseph A. [BA ’05]; Draper, Utah) published her first novel,Espionage, as A. L. Sowards. Espionage is a WWII suspense novel. Charlotte M. Vaillancourt (BS ’03, MBA Green Mountain College ’09; Owatonna, Minn.) is a member of the tourism faculty at Shota Rustaveli State University in Batumi, Republic of Georgia. She teaches English to tourism majors.

2005 | S. Darbi Hughes Chavez (BS ’05; Eddie; Salt Lake City) was certified by the National Registry of Certified Microbiologists. Edward F. Kinsey (BS ’05; Morgan, Utah) cofounded 52WeeksToProsperousLiving.com, a free online financial- organization system. He has been an independent financial advisor since 2009, focusing on tax-free retirement planning for small-business owners. Thad D. Seegmiller (BS ’05, JD University of Montana ’08; April Wadsworth [BS ’05]; Washington, Utah) is a new associate in the St. George office of law firm Jones Waldo.

Jacob Black

2006 | Jacob A. Black (BA ’06; Michelle Douglass [BA ’08]; Eagle Mountain, Utah) was hired as the manager of social media and emerging technology in the LDS Church’s Missionary Department Media Division. He continues to work as a freelance writer for several TV series on Cartoon Network. Michael S. Stice (BA ’06; Grantsville, Utah) was promoted to operations manager of Utah public facilities for Kenco Logistic Services.

2007 | Jacob T. Lee (BS ’07; Tracy; Tooele, Utah) is a registrant of the National Registry of Certified Microbiologists.

2009 | Christie Burgon Sowby (BM ’09; Robert B. [BS ’12]; Provo) received the StAR Studio Teacher Fellowship Award at the 2012 Music Teachers National Association National Conference in New York.